My friend and I (but mostly me) were polishing off a piece of Basque cheesecake, scanning the view of the Los Angeles basin from atop Mariposa Avenue in Altadena.
It was one of those crisp, clear L.A. winter nights. Twinkling lights of the cityscape danced along a perfect horizontal line in the distance — except for one spot where the lights suddenly became vertical.
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“That’s downtown,” said my friend, who has lived and worked in Altadena for decades. “You used to not be able to see it from here.”
But fire wiped out many of the buildings along Mariposa Avenue, revealing a skyline view few knew existed.
Nature is back. Humans are not 
A car drives through debris and mud flows on Loma Alta Drive during a rainstorm over the Eaton fire burn area in Altadena.
(Hon Wing Chiu/For The Times)
A year after the firestorm, nature has been doing what it always does: regenerate. Record rains in December turned many of the flattened lots where homes once stood into meadows. Scarred hillsides are coming back to life. The experience is surreal to an outsider. Residential streets where generations of people raised families now resemble serene country roads. It’s perfectly charming unless you know what was there before.
Nature’s physical erasure of the fires’ aftermath is on display in a slider of photos my colleague Terry Castleman published comparing satellite images of Pacific Palisades in January and December, the moonscape of brown and ash white replaced by a Scotland-like, vibrant green.
But that’s the view from space.
That night on Mariposa Avenue, it was not just the views that felt so unnerving. It was the silence. The sounds of the city have been so muted you can hear that four-cylinder Toyota Corolla engine grunt up the hill on Lake Avenue before even the headlights flash into view. You can drive down some of Altadena’s throughways — New York Drive, Altadena Drive — at night and not see another car for a minute at a time.
The mirage of all that greenery
And that is what makes Mother Nature’s miracle this winter a mirage.
Aerial images show green vegetation growing over the destruction of the Eaton fire in Altadena.
(Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times)
We cannot forget about the people who lost everything and for whom this winter of renewal might feel like just one more cruel turn.
The fire victims entered 2026 with deep uncertainty and many challenges:
Residents are quickly running out of insurance to pay for temporary housing.While some rebuilding is underway, many still are uncertain about whether they will have enough money to make it happen. The housing market in the two fire zones has been upended by outside investors snapping up lots. Some real estate experts said this trend could slow the rebuilding process.The ability to rebuild for some might come down to the outcome of class-action litigation against entities they blame for the fires, notably Southern California Edison. But it’s far from clear when those cases will be resolved and how much individuals will get.
The manzanitas, sagebrushes and oaks may be thriving. But humans not so much.
‘A band of trauma survivors’
My Basque cheesecake marked the end of a meal at Betsy, a fancy Italian restaurant that has become a beacon of hope and a gathering point for post-fire Altadena.
A Friday dinner crowd at Betsy in Altadena.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Its building survived the fire, but the ghostly remains of a historic storefront that once housed a beloved hardware store next door are a reminder that much of Mariposa Avenue did not.
Times restaurant critic Bill Addison recently reviewed Betsy, quoting one of the servers as saying: “Yeah, we’re a band of trauma survivors here.” Addison’s interpretation of her comment speaks not just for a restaurant but for the community too.
“She doesn’t say the words with bitterness,” he wrote. “Like this whole operation, she’s conveying realism, and chosen purpose, and possibility.”
Today’s top stories 
Legal experts are split on how a lawsuit triggered by UCLA’s attempt to move football from the Rose Bowl to SoFi Stadium will be resolved.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
Will UCLA be forced to stay at the Rose Bowl?Legal experts are split on how a lawsuit triggered by UCLA’s attempt to move football from the Rose Bowl to SoFi Stadium will be resolved.The case could end with UCLA paying hefty damages to leave or being forced to stay at the Rose Bowl through 2044.The 2044 lease expiration date and potential for success under new coach Bob Chesney are among factors that could determine the outcome.Explaining California’s billionaire tax: The proposals, the backlash and the exodusUnder the Billionaire Tax Act, Californians worth more than $1 billion would pay a one-time 5% tax on their total wealth.The proposal is still far from being approved by voters or even making the ballot, but the idea already sparked backlash from vocal tech moguls — some of whom already shifted their bases outside the state.Here is how this fight could continue to play out in the Golden State.‘Abolish ICE’ messaging is back. Is it any more likely this time?Democratic lawmakers and candidates for office around the country are returning to the phrase as they react to this administration’s forceful immigration enforcement tactics.Many of the Democrats calling for an outright elimination of ICE come from the party’s progressive wing.Roughly 46% of Americans said they support the idea of abolishing ICE, while 43% are opposed, one poll found.What else is going on
Commentary and opinions
This morning’s must readOther great readsFor your downtime 
Going outStaying inAnd finally … the photo of the day 
Woodland Hills resident Mehrzad Mozhdekanloo gathers with others for a Make Iran Great Again rally at City Hall in downtown L.A. on Sunday.
(Gary Coronado/For The Los Angeles Times)
Today’s great photo is from Times contributor Gary Coronado at an Iranian protest in downtown Los Angeles.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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